A misconfigured server for Facebook accidentally spewed pieces of the site’s source code onto the Web on Saturday according to TechCrunch, leading to speculation that the site’s security could be compromised. Facebook representatives have denied the error will pose any problem, claiming the code was related to the site’s user interface and not the site’s data backbone.
After the security code leak, the code was posted on a blog known as Facebook Secrets, where it is still available. Interested coders can browse pages upon pages of code along with critical user comments. The public’s reaction to the code seems to confirm Facebook’s claim that none of the site’s most critical functions have been compromised – only surface features that appear on many PHP-driven sites.
The biggest implication for Facebook might be increased scrutiny from its users. Although the site now boasts many security features allowing users to reveal what they want to who they want, users now know that a successful hack attempt or even an innocuous computer glitch could spill private data in spite of all precautions.